659 



Fink (D.E.). The Verbena Bud Moth. — U.S. DepLAgric, Washington, 

 D.C., Bull. no. 22G, 27tli May 1915, 7 pp., 1 fig., 3 plates. 



Olethreutes heheaana, Walk., (verbena bud moth) was found during' 

 the autumn of 1913 infesting Antirrhinum sp. (snapdragon). This 

 insect is apparently locally distributed throughout the eastern parts ol 

 the United States and Canada. Injury is confined to flowering plants. 

 It has been reared from and found injurious to Tigridia favonia (tiger 

 flower), Antirrhinum spp.. Iris spp., Verba.scum thapsus (mullein). 

 Verbena spp., and Dasy stoma flava (false foxglove). The eggs are 

 deposited singly or in small groups on the sepals of the flower buds 

 or on the upper part of the flower stalk. The first eggs are laid by 

 adults emerging during March from overwintering pupae. In the 

 vicinity of Norfolk, Va., 5 or 6 generations are produced annually. 

 Oviposition occurs several days after emergence and was fir.st observed 

 on 2nd April. The larvae feed at fi.rst on the flower bud and later 

 attack other parts, including the seed capsules, in which, during the 

 winter, larvae in all stages, as well as pupae, may be found. Under 

 laboratory conditions the life-cycle occupied 43 days. Methods of 

 control which were found effective against the larva, include the 

 use of poison sprays and the cutting back and destruction of infested 

 stalks. The following poisons were used :— (1) Arsenate of lead, 

 2 lb. to 50 U.S. gals, water and fish-oil soap, 2 lb. to 50 gals, water ; 

 (2) zinc arsenite, \\ lb. to 50 U.S. gals, water, and fish-oil soap 2 lb. 

 to 50 U.S. gals, water. Spraying was carried out as soon as the larvae 

 began to hatch ; from 85 to 90 per cent, were killed. By cutting back 

 infested parts during the autumn, all stages of the insect are got 

 rid of. 



Theobald (F, V.). Report on Economic Zoology for the year ended 

 September 30th 1913. — Jl of the South Eastern Agric. Coll., Wye, 

 Kent, for the vear 1913, pp. 193-38(3, 17 plates and 09 text figs. 

 [Received 26th March 1915.] 



Thi^> report contains a great variety of records of damage by insect 

 pests, including attacks by the larvae of Dxsychira pudibunda, L., in 

 Herefordshire, and by Noenia typica, L., the Dark Gothic Moth, in 

 other localities, on apples. Alhetis clavipalpis {Caradrina quadri- 

 punctata, F.) at Blairmore attacked stored apples, peaches, cucumbers 

 and marrows. The larvae of Olethreutes {Antithesia) pruniana, Hb., 

 did great damage to apples near Worcester, and larvae of Melolontha 

 melolontha were found eating the finer roots of standard apples, doing 

 such damage as to necessitate the removal of the trees. Mustard 

 blossom beetles {Meligethes spp.) are now to be regarded as serious 

 pests of pear and apple blossom, and growers are beginning to recognise 

 that the leaf weevils, Phyllobius spp., are serious pests of apple and 

 pear blossoms and that lead arsenate spray is a useful remedy against 

 them. A successful attempt to control the woolly aphis \Eriosoma 

 lanigerum] by banding the trees with tanglefoot is recorded. The 

 plum leaf sawfly, Priophorns {Cladius) padi, L.. though not a common 

 pest, was reported as doing great damage in one localtiy, and in another 

 Xijleborus dispar, ¥., killed thirty young plum trees. Lai-\'ae of 



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